Brain on Fire

"It's not supposed to happen. Be prepared when it does."

2017 1h 28m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 1,446

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Susannah Cahalan, an up-and-coming journalist at the New York Post becomes plagued by voices in her head and seizures, causing a rapid descent into insanity.

“It's not supposed to happen. Be prepared when it does.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Chloë Grace Moretz
Susannah Cahalan
Thomas Mann
Stephen Grywalski
Richard Armitage
Tom Cahalan
Carrie-Anne Moss
Rhona Nack
Jenny Slate
Margo
Tyler Perry
Richard
Alex Zahara
Allen
Jenn MacLean-Angus
Giselle

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gerard Barrett
Writers: Gerard Barrett
Languages: English
Countries: Ireland, Canada

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

88 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 9 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Ireland, Canada.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Gerard Barrett, shot by Yaron Orbach. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Paesano. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Joseph C. Bond IV shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Chloë Grace Moretz and Thomas Mann and Richard Armitage carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "It's not supposed to happen. Be prepared when it does.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gerard Barrett directs. Yaron Orbach behind the camera. John Paesano scores. Joseph C. Bond IV cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Ireland, Canada. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 9 years ago.
3International production across 2 countries: Ireland, Canada.
4Directed by Gerard Barrett, shot by Yaron Orbach. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by John Paesano. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Joseph C. Bond IV shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Chloë Grace Moretz and Thomas Mann and Richard Armitage carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "It's not supposed to happen. Be prepared when it does.".
9IMDB entry: tt3704700 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 14 themes, including "new york city", "strong woman", "biography", "based on true story".